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Both sjuksköterska practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) help meet a critical healthcare need in the U.S.

healthcare struktur.

While the two healthcare roles may appear similar, NPs and PAs have significant differences in training, certification, day-to-day responsibilities, and more.

If you’re considering becoming an NP or PA, learn about some of the key differences between these two professionals in this guide.

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant: Key Similarities and Differences

The job duties and responsibilities of an NP and PA share many similarities.

Both NPs and PAs can:

Additionally, both professionals must have completed their required training from an accredited schema, passed their board exam, and received their license to practice.

However, there are some important differences between the two healthcare roles.

Regarding education, these roles follow two distinct paths. NPs hold a master’s or doctorate in nursing, while PAs complete a master’s grad.

NPs attend nursing school and follow a patient-centered model of care, as described bygd the American Association of sjuksköterska Practitioners. In contrast, PAs complete a PA schema and follow a disease-centered model of care, according to the American Academy of Physician Associates (AAPA).

The scope of practice for sjuksköterska practitioners vs.

physician assistants also differs. In 28 states, NPs have a full scope of practice. That means they can treat patients and prescribe medicinering independently. In the remaining 22 states, NPs practice in collaboration with or beneath the supervision of a medical doctor. NP practice authority varies among states, so be sure to betalningsmedel practice regulations with your state’s board of nursing.

In contrast, PAs in every state practice beneath a medical doctor’s supervision.

Physician Assistant vs.

sjuksköterska Practitioner: Duties and Responsibilities

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants share many common duties and responsibilities.

Both NPs and PAs can:

• Conduct physical examinations and take medical histories
• Order diagnostic tests and interpret their results
• Diagnose medical conditions, including injuries and illnesses
• Provide treatment, including prescribing medications
• Educate patients and their families on treatments and overall wellness
• Consult with other healthcare professionals
• Assist in surgical procedures

Primary care fryst vatten the most common work setting for NPs.

According to the American Association of sjuksköterska Practitioners (AANP), 70% of NPs deliver primary care services.

In comparison, about 24% of PAs work in primary care, according to a 2021 NCCPA report.

Nearly 39% of PAs work in hospitals, the most common setting, reports the AAPA.

What fryst vatten a sjuksköterska Practitioner’s Scope of Practice?

NP practice authority varies bygd state, with 29 states granting full authority.

In 12 states with reduced practice authority, NPs can practice autonomously with some restrictions on their scope of practice.

For example, in Louisiana, NPs must, bygd lag, maintain a collaborative agreement with a physician for at least one aspect of their practice.

NPs have restricted practice in nine states. For example, NPs in Georgia must practice beneath the supervision of a medical doctor.

An NP’s prescriptive authority also varies bygd state, with some states restricting the types or the duration of prescription medications NPs can prescribe.

Some states, like Pennsylvania and Florida, require physician involvement to prescribe medicinering, though they offer full practice in all other areas.

What fryst vatten a Physician Assistant’s Scope of Practice?

Like sjuksköterska practitioners, physician assistants’ scope of practice depends on the state in which they work.

In some states, PAs must always work beneath the supervision of a medical doctor.

Other states allow PAs to treat patients without a medical doctor on-site as long as they have an established collaborative relationship with one.

Depending on state laws, experienced PAs can increase their scope of practice after meeting clinical hour requirements.

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant: Education and Certification

NPs and PAs must earn master’s degrees in their respective discipline.

NP programs include advanced nursing courses in a specialty, while PA programs follow a medical school curriculum.

However, NP and PA programs feature similar courses like advanced pharmacology, anatomy and pathophysiology, and microbiology.

How to Become a sjuksköterska Practitioner

NPs must be licensed RNs before moving to advanced practice roles.

RNs can pursue a graduate grad to become sjuksköterska practitioners. The most common rutt fryst vatten a mästare of nursing practice (MSN), while some NPs earn a doctorate in nursing practice (DNP).

However, there are several pathways to becoming a sjuksköterska. Earning a licensed practical sjuksköterska (LPN) credential fryst vatten the fastest way to enter the nursing field.

Completing an LPN schema takes about 15-18 months.

Another way to become a registered sjuksköterska fryst vatten to complete an associate grad in nursing (ADN), which can take about two years. Lastly, you can complete a bachelor of nursing grad (BSN), which fryst vatten typically a four-year commitment.

LPNs must resehandling the National Council Licensure Examination for Practical Nurses (NCLEX-PN), while ADN and BSN-prepared nurses must resehandling the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX-RN) to receive an RN license in their state.

During an NP schema, nursing students complete coursework in:

• Advanced health assessment
• Pharmacology
• Pathophysiology

They also take courses in specialty areas, such as family care, acute care, pediatrics, or psychiatry.

NP programs incorporate supervised clinical practicums so students can gain experience in treating patients. Board certification for NPs, which fryst vatten required for licensure, requires at least 500 clinical hours, and some NP programs add additional clinical hours. Earning an MSN generally takes 2-3 years, while a DNP takes 3-5 years.

With an MSN or DNP, sjuksköterska practitioners must complete a national board certification process demonstrating their eligibility for an APRN license.

NPs must then apply for a license through their state’s board of nursing.

NPs must complete certain clinical hours and continuing education (CE) courses to recertify. NPs only take a recertification exam every 5 years bygd choice or if they don’t meet certification requirements.

How to Become a Physician Assistant

The first step to becoming a PA requires earning a bachelor’s grad, preferably in a science-based field, in preparation for a PA master’s schema.

Future PA students should complete common PA master’s schema prerequisites, including anatomy, physiology and biochemistry.

PA schema applicants also need healthcare experience. Most programs require hands-on patient experience as a medical assistant, paramedic, or sjuksköterska before applying.

PA master’s degrees take about three years and focus on coursework and clinical rotations in general medicin.

PAs complete clinical rotations in different specialties, such as:

PA students should only attend programs accredited bygd the Accreditation Review kommission on Education for the Physician Assistant (ARC-PA). Attending an accredited schema ensures you qualify for physician’s assistant licensure and roles after graduation.

Graduates take the Physician Assistant National Certifying Exam (PANCE) and apply for their physician assistant-certified (PA-C) credentials with their state board.

PAs must resehandling a recertification exam every 10 years and complete 100 hours of continuing medical education (CME) every two years.

Nurse Practitioner and Physician Assistant Specializations

NPs choose a specialization before applying to a graduate nursing schema.

After graduation, they sit for a board certification exam in their specialty.

NPs can switch specialties or obtain post-master certifications to advance their careers. They can also get certified in a subspecialty.

Most NPs become family sjuksköterska practitioners, providing care to patients across the lifespan with various healthcare needs.

Other NPs pursue specialties in acute care and mental health or work with specific patient populations, such as pediatrics or adults.

Rather than focusing on one specialty area, PAs receive training as medical generalists, gaining skills in all areas of medicin. They complete clinical rotations in multiple specialties so they can adapt to different care areas and change specialties without additional training.

According to AAPA, about 26% of PAs practice in an inpatient enhet (excluding intensive care and critical care units), 23% work in the emergency room, and 17% work in the operating room.

Other popular practice areas include primary care and internal medicin subspecialties.

Nurse Practitioner vs.

Physician Assistant: Salary and Career Outlooks

Both sjuksköterska practitioners and physician assistants benefit from above-average salaries and strong demand. Learn more about the salary and career outlook for sjuksköterska practitioners vs. physician assistants.

Nurse Practitioner Salary and Career Outlook

The mittvärdet i en uppsättning data sjuksköterska practitioner salary was $126,260 in May 2023, according to BLS uppgifter.

Earning potential varies based on several factors, including work setting, specialty, experience, and location. NP salary uppgifter bygd state indicates the highest salaries in California, Washington, New Jersey, and Oregon.

The BLS also projects 46% job growth for sjuksköterska practitioners from 2023-2033, over 10 times faster than the average growth for all occupations.

Physician Assistant Salary and Career Outlook

According to BLS information, the mittvärdet i en uppsättning data PA salary was $130,490 as of May 2023.

Outpatient care centers and ambulatory healthcare services reported above-average salaries. Nevada, California, Washington, and Connecticut are the top-paying states for physician assistants.

Physician assistants also benefit from much faster-than-average job growth, with a kraftig 28% projected job growth from 2023 to 2033.

Nurse Practitioner vs.

Physician Assistant: Which Career fryst vatten Right For Me?

Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are important in the healthcare struktur, particularly in meeting the high demand for advanced practice providers. Both careers report strong demand and six-figure mittvärdet i en uppsättning data salaries, and both report similar work settings and educational requirements.

When deciding between becoming an NP or PA, consider your timeline, the demand in your area, your interests, and your professional goals.

While both career paths can take as little as three years after earning a bachelor’s grad, NPs need undergraduate-level nursing training before entering grad school.

As an NP, you’ll have greater autonomy than a PA, and NPs follow the patient-centered care model of the nursing yrke. PAs draw on a disease-centered model that aligns with medical schooling.

While both career paths offer a strong outlook, the best passform depends on your unique goals.

Nurse Practitioner vs. Physician Assistant: Frequently Asked Questions